Ocean's 11th Grade
by RobotFrank
Summary: Set during high school, Danny has been challenged by senior Terry Benedict to see who can pull off the bigger and better prank the night of Homecoming, but he has his work cut out for him. Three schools in one night...Please R&R, 4TH CHAPTER ADDED
1. Prologue: Yesterday, Monday

Danny Ocean's breath fogged on a window. That familiar sickening smell of brown plastic-leather-nylon bus seat filled his nostrils as he exhaled, fogging the window again. He contemplated writing something on the glass, but reminded himself he wasn't a fourth grader anymore. The simple entertainments of the past just weren't enough to quench the thirst of mischief that parched his throat. It had evolved over the years from the uncomplicated (water balloons, whoopee cushions) to the advanced ("canning" cars, bottle rockets and fireworks) to the immense (setting up a faux press conference in front of his high school for the principal to announce his "coming out of the closet"), the latter of which finally got him into the kind of trouble he'd been dreaming about. He was lucky he wasn't expelled, but his father went to school with one of the members of the school board and had his sentence reduced to a month's suspension, an equal amount of grounding from his parents and revocation of his car. Now the suspension was up, and it was back to the daily grind of homework and awkward social situations.

This reminded him, he hadn't talked to Tess or anyone else at school, since he left.

The bus came to a halt in the student unloading area behind the school. One by one, it emptied, and Danny stood face to face with Rusty Ryan, his best friend. They hadn't seen each other since the Press Conference prank, but neither of them really worried. Danny knew he'd see Rusty again and Rusty knew Danny wouldn't give him up to the school board.

"How was the vacation?" Rusty said, taking a big bite out of what looked like an English muffin breakfast sandwich.

"Like I had always imagined it," Danny said, "boring, drawn out, useless. Kind of like school,"

Rusty shook his head, "I guess it hasn't changed you at all,"

"Not in the slightest,"

They walked side by side through the student quad, working their way through groups of students before finally reaching North Hall, the whole way random students greeting them excitedly.

"Hey Danny! Good to see you back!"

"Lookin' good Rusty,"

"Danny, the man with the plan, how you been?"

"Rusty, you said you were going to call!"

Danny stopped and looked into a classroom, which happened to be Tess' homeroom.

"She changed homerooms. She changed a lot of stuff," Rusty said, over Danny's shoulder.

"Like what?"

Rusty could only smile before he continued down the hall.

--- --- ---

Tess and Danny had been dating since sophomore year. They had their fair share of ups and downs, but nothing compared to the falling out after he was caught. She was currently the leading student in the junior class, and was trying to secure an early scholarship from Princeton, and being the girlfriend of someone who tried to make the very masculine principal come out of the closet might hurt her chances of going to college. She swore she would never talk to him again.

"Which might explain why she's not here today," Rusty said as they walked into their own homeroom. It was almost empty, sans a few students and Mr. Turentine, who sat behind his desk, giving a hearty wave as they entered.

"Good morning boys! Danny, good to see you again. I trust you're completely rehabilitated?" he said with an ounce of playfulness in his voice.

"Of course, Mr. Turentine,"

"I'd expect nothing less," Mr. Turentine laughed, "What a world! Punish a student by giving them a vacation from school!" He turned his attention back to his computer. A kid Danny had never seen before caught his eye. He was sitting in the far corner, arms folded on his desk, his chin propped on his wrist.

"Who's that?" Danny asked Rusty, as they sat in their usual spots close to the door. Rusty looked over his shoulder.

"Oh, that's…I can't remember his first name. Moved from Chicago, I think. He's brand new,"

"What's his last name?"

"I don't know, Baldwin or Caldwell, I can't remember," Rusty said, more focused on opening the granola bar he had been keeping in his jacket pocket.

"What happened to the sandwich?" Danny asked.

Rusty looked up, "I finished it,"

An awkward moment passed between them. Danny glanced up at the clock. Just enough time…

"So, are you ready?" Danny asked.

"No," Rusty said, without looking up.

"Why not?"

"And I don't think you're ready either,"

"Oh come on!"

Danny's shouting caught the attention of Mr. Turentine, who gave them the "quiet down" gesture. Rusty leant low over the table.

"You just got back from a suspension, you're lucky you weren't expelled, and you've already got something up your sleeve? As your best friend, I must advise you to wise up,"

"Russ, it's not that simple,"

"Wait a while," Rusty said, Danny exhaling in frustration. "Take your time, get caught up here and then we'll start thinking about doing something else. You know I'm right, admit it,"

Danny shook his head, "This is different. This is going to be bigger than anything that's ever been done. It's going to need planning and a large crew. More than just me and you this time,"

Intriguing, Rusty thought, Okay, I'll humor you.

"Okay, I'll humor you,"

"Good," Danny pulled out a little notebook, the green cover worn down to the white in some spots, the corners of the pages torn and curled. He flipped to a page in the middle, "Okay, we've been challenged,"

A pause from Rusty, "A challenge?" He really had no idea what Danny was talking about.

"Yeah, a challenge. Who can pull off the better prank,"

Rusty was thoroughly confused now, "Between me and you?"

"No," Danny rolled his eyes, "Terry Benedict,"

"Terry Benedict challenged us? Why would he challenge us?"

"He said he thought the press conference gag wasn't very impressive, that he thought he could pull a better prank, things escalated from there and we got a challenge,"

"That doesn't sound like Terry at all. Why would the varsity quarterback challenge us to anything that doesn't involve smashing into each other on a football field?"

Danny shrugged, "All that matters now is that we've got a challenge,"

Rusty chewed his granola bar and sat up straight, "You got anything in mind?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't involve the school this time,"

"What, you want to hit another school?"

Danny shook his head and held up three fingers. Rusty did a double take before taking another bite of his granola. He chuckled in his throat, "Three schools in one night?" Rusty said, as Danny nodded. "Well, you know I can't say no to that,"

"That's what I was counting on," Danny said.

--- --- ---

Rusty sat on the bus after school, swaying back and forth as the large yellow transport traveled down the suburban streets of Northwood. He glanced briefly out the window before turning his attention back to the green notebook in his hands, turning pages after scanning Danny's three school plan.

"Mm," Rusty made unrecognizable noises as his eyes went over the notes, one thing piling on top of another, "Oo. Well, if I'm reading this right, and I'd like to think that I am, this is probably one of the most elaborate and well timed pranks in the history of high school pranks,"

"You got it. I had a lot of time on my hands recently, I figured I'd put it to good use," Danny said. He had been watching Rusty's face, as it changed from surprised to horrified to impressed and everything in between. "What do you think?"

"I think you're out of your mind and any self respecting student with even the slightest aspirations of a bright future wouldn't even think about joining you in this ludicrous venture…You're just lucky my schedule is free for the next week,"

A tiny smile cracked the corner of Danny's mouth. Not at Rusty's misleading joke, but at the excitement he failed to hide in his voice.


	2. Monday Part II: It All Comes Together

Yesterday, Monday, Part II

"Remind me why we're doing this again?" Rusty Ryan wiped away a small piece of scrambled egg that had slipped from his fork. He and Danny sat on the same side of a booth of their favorite diner, the Shooting Star Cantina. Rusty was obliterating a plate of huevos rancheros as Danny looked on in a combination of disgust and amazement. For years he had put up with his best friend's eating habits, astonished at his ability to eat as much as he wants of whatever he wants and not gain a pound.

"Because we are a proud people and we will not go quietly into the night!" Danny said, raising a clinched fist, like the leader of some rebel army readying his men for a battle to the death with an oppressive king. Rusty swallowed another mouthful and shook his head.

"You're full of it,"

"Better than being full of nothing at all,"

"Been talking to the guidance councilor again?"

Danny moved his hands near his mouth, "So what if I have?"

"You don't need guidance, you need medication,"

"But Frank moved away…"

The bell hanging above the diner's door jingled as a pudgy young man walked in, big sunglasses covering most of his round face. He dressed like a middle-aged businessman, in a pressed grey wool suit and red tie. Without missing a beat, he waved at the cook and waitress before sliding into the seat across from Danny and Rusty.

"Are you out of your god damn minds?!"

The volume of his voice caught the attention of other patrons in the diner. Rusty's eyebrows shot up, surprised by Rueben's sudden appearance. Danny smiled and rested his elbows on the table.

"Hey Rube,"

"Don't 'Hey Rube' me! I know what you guys are up to and I respect you're desire to just jump right back into the shark tank, but get real! You two have so much heat on you right now, I'm going to get grounded just for talking to you!"

"I didn't do anything," Rusty said calmly.

"But being around him as much as you are," Rueben jabbed a thumb in Danny's direction, "You're being watched too. And now I am! I can't risk that, my new social status being what it is. My parents are just getting used to all the fancy-shmancy parties we've been going to and all the hoity-toity friends they've made and if anyone in the upper crust finds out that Mr. and Mrs. Tishkoff's son is hanging around with a couple of delinquents, they're going to abandon me in the middle of the fucking desert!"

Danny gestured for Reuben to calm down, "I need your help, Rube,"

"You don't need my help, you need medication!"

"Told you," Rusty said.

"Okay, let me rephrase that: I need your money," Danny said, looking into the dark lenses of Reuben's glasses. About six months ago, Reuben's father bought a winning lottery ticket. The Tishkoff's found themselves vaulted into the upper echelon of the state's society, wining and dining with Northwood's elite. They hated it so very, very much.

Reuben himself had become something of an exile at school as well. Many of the rich popular kids, whom he was now richer than, claimed his family had rigged the lottery, because they were Jewish and could do such things. Rusty always got a kick out of that.

"Danny, I love you like a distant family member, but I can't give you any money. That would basically be aiding and embedding an escaped convict,"

"Come on, Reuben, it's very important to him," Rusty said. Danny gave him a sideways glance, "…And equally important to me,"

"I'm sorry fellas, but I can't. Not right now," Rueben said. He plucked a few bills from his wallet and placed them on the table, sliding himself out of the booth and past the others on his way to the door. His walk came to a screeching halt when, over his shoulder, Danny said…

"Terry Benedict is involved,"

Danny sat calmly, his laced together, his eyes followed Reuben as he once again sat across the table. Rusty flicked bits of straw wrapper with his fork, like a hockey player.

"Terry Benedict, you say?"

Danny only nodded.

"What do you guys have against Terry Benedict?"

"What do you have against him, that's the question," Danny said.

"In the fifth grade, he humiliated me at the public pool, torpedoed me, I nearly drowned. The kids made fun of me all throughout middle school, called me Tishkoff the Fishkoff!"

"I remember that," Rusty said, chuckling a little.

"I still haven't been able to swim at a public pool since then," Rueben looked down in shame. Danny couldn't tell if it was real or just making fun of himself.

"Then don't you think it's time to get that big, chlorine scented monkey off your back?" Danny said, his eyes shining with the confidence of a snake oil salesman.

"You're both nuts…" Reuben said, defeat in his voice. He extended a hand across the table, which Danny heartily accepted. Rusty shook his hand as well. "I can't guarantee how much money I can get you, but what I know I can get should be sufficient. It all depends what you have planned,"

"It should be plenty, thank you Reuben," Danny said.

"And I assume we'll need a place to meet with the rest of the crew?"

"Of course," Rusty said, "We must entertain our guests,"

"Alright then, that leads me to my next question…Who else did you convince that this was a good idea, huh? Who else is just as nuts as you are?"

-- -- --

Frank Cattan strolled down the hallway of South Shore High School with the poise of a senior, flashing his winning smile at several groups of girls scattered throughout. They giggled and smiled back, some waved cute little waves, which Frank returned with a double gun point. He recently moved to SSHS from Northwood and had an easy time adapting to it, many of the South Shore students forgetting quickly his previous high school loyalty because of the charm he oozed twenty-four hours a day.

He reached his locker and grabbed his books for his next class. While the inside door of the locker was decorated in South Shore yellow and purple, in the far back corner was a picture of a blue and white lobo, Northwood's mascot. He had convinced most of the students he was now a Yellow Jacket, but he grew up in Northwood and loved that town more than anything. He would always be a Lobo.

His cell phone's message alert sounded inside his backpack and he extracted it like a secret agent going for his gun. He read the text message:

hows the shore treating you?

Ocean

Frank smiled and replied:

Danny! Glad to hear from ya! Lifes been boring. U?

Another group of girls walked by. Frank winked as he received Danny's reply:

maybe i can help cure your boredom. i need an inside man. want in?

Ocean

A smile slithered across Frank's face as he closed his locker.

-- -- --

Turk Malloy lay under his restored '69 Chevy Chevelle, his baby, the car he'd dreamed of since his father told him stories of his own. His hands covered in dirt and grime, working feverishly on something in the undercarriage. His maternal twin brother Virgil stood at his feet, leaning against the passenger's door. He stared down at his brother's legs protruding from underneath the car, holding a can full of the oil they just changed.

"I'll bet you I can do it," Virgil said.

"Don't do it," Turk said, his voice muffled from under the car.

"I'll bet five bucks I can do it,"

"Don't do it!" Turk repeated.

"Five bucks is a lot of money,"

"Not to me it's not, don't do it!"

"…Five bucks…"

"If you do, I swear, I'll climb out and drop you like fourth period Spanish!"

"You dropped that class because you couldn't roll your 'R's, not because the class poured dirty oil all over your legs,"

"Virgil, your ass will feel my foot!"

"Rrrrrrrrrr," Virgil continued to roll his 'R's as a drip of oil slapped Turk's bare calf. The sound of skull hitting undercarriage nearly drowned out the sound of Virgil's phone going off. He answered it as Turk angrily yelled several swear words.

"Hey Frank, what's going on?" Virgil answered.

-- -- --

Every year, as each semester passed and became more difficult, tests became harder and homework assignments became more thorough, and that's just the way Livingston Dell liked it. Juniors and seniors came to him to have their work done and they were very willing to pay a hefty price for it. He had practically made a living off of it and at one point considered starting a work-at-home business, but realized he basically already had. Right now, Livingston sat alone in the audio-visual room of Northwood High, tinkering with a card shuffling machine his grandmother had asked him to fix so her nursing home poker night wasn't ruined. He pushed his horn rim glasses up the bridge of his nose and licked his lips, pouring every ounce of concentration on the small precision screwdriver he had inside the shuffler. Livingston heard the door open behind him, footsteps on the carpet.

"Just put your homework on the table, I'll take care of it in a while…"

"It's not your math skills I'm here for, Livingston," a familiar voice spoke up. Livingston whirled around, the tiny screwdriver clattering on the carpet.

"Danny, hi…" Livingston spoke in his usual shy voice. Mr. Ocean smiled and approached the young audio-visual expert like they were old friends. In truth they had only spoken two times before and both had been in regards to helping with Danny's trigonometry homework. Livingston was normally nervous around juniors and seniors, especially the popular ones. And especially the popular ones who didn't want help with their homework. But something in Danny's voice put Livingston at ease.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Danny asked. Livingston's brow crinkled. He had never been asked that question before. By anyone. And it excited him.

-- -- --

"A'right, boys, let it go!"

Strong streams of white foam shot twenty and thirty feet into the air, some straight, others curved and formed beautiful patterns against the bright blue sky. Half a dozen people ran around bottles of soda water, dropping Mentos in at designated times. Basher Tarr watched them all like hawks, and was quite impressed with his work. This had taken months of preparation and would take several more weeks worth for his team to be ready for the State Science Competition. A full ride scholarship was on the line for the winning team, and Basher intended on getting it. His family had moved to America from Britain two years ago and he had gotten himself a reputation at Northwood High for being one of the smartest, coolest, weirdest kids there, a strange combination. But it had placed him in the perfect social status: he had friends who were popular and friends that weren't. Friends that were jocks and nerds, stuck-up and humble, smart and stupid. He had a finger on the pulse of the whole school. He fit in, and he didn't. And it didn't hurt that he had an awesome name.

Danny and Rusty watched as the geysers of foam and mint floated through the air, following a pattern Rusty found familiar, but couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. Since Basher had moved to Northwood, he had formed a great friendship with the two, even participating in a few of their pranks. And now they had another one for him, one bigger than anything that's ever been done before.

"And you just expect me to drop what I'm doing and help you guys out?" Basher said, his eyes covered with lab goggles.

"That's normally what friends consider…" Danny said, most of his attention still on the soda geysers. Rusty was, on the other hand, completely distracted by them.

"Do you blokes know how busy I am with this?" Basher asked.

"I can only imagine," Danny replied.

"I have a full ride scholarship to the university of my choice if I win this thing. I know I'm going to win, that's no bollix,"

"Agreed,"

"So I'm going to win?"

"That's what I've been led to believe, yes,"

"And you think I'm going to risk that to help you with some little grudge you have against that wanker Terry Benedict?"

Danny thought for a moment, "Is it really a risk when you know you're going to win?"

Basher thought for a moment as well, "Cheeky bastard. Fine, you got me,"

Danny smiled, while Rusty finally snapped from his trance and asked Basher, "What is it supposed to be anyway?"

Basher gave him a look of disbelief, "They're the bloody Bellagio fountains!"

Rusty thought for a moment (since it was his turn), "Ohhh, I thought it looked familiar…"


	3. Monday Part III: The Eleven

The bleachers of the football field were scattered with groups of students and parents. The kids were chatting lively and laughing at jokes about teachers and their flavor-of-the-week crushes. Almost all the adults were paying close attention to their own kids, who were on the field, dressed in their track and field clothes. The meet had gone well so far, the Northwood Lobos ahead of the West Mountain Yellow Jackets 4-2. Danny stood at the bottom of the bleachers, Danny leaned forward against the railing, watching the student-athletes closely. Rusty leaned against the rail as well, his back to the field, soda in his left hand.

"Which one's Yen?" Danny asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.

"He's the little Chinese guy," Rusty said, trying not to laugh. He kept his gaze trained on a group of girls halfway up the stands. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Danny give him a look that said 'You've got to be kidding me'. Yen was this year's foreign exchange student, from the country of China. He had fit in well, mostly because of his willingness to try new things, such as backflipping off the gym roof and landing on his feet, and eating two dozen mystery meat steaks during lunch. The only barrier that really existed was his badly broken English, which made him almost impossible to understand. Luckily, Rusty's parents made him take Italian, Russian, Spanish and Mandarin language lessons when he was growing up, so he was really the only one in the school that understood Yen. A good example was when Yen called his physics teacher a "motherless pig" in Chinese, and Rusty was the only one that busted up laughing.

"He's lining up right now," Rusty said (in Chinese). Danny gave him another look.

Yen stretched his limbs, his black hair cut short against his scalp. Some of the other competitors wished each other good luck and the like, but Yen said nothing to anyone, not even stopping to give a friendly nod. He kept his eyes on the 100 meter dash that lay ahead of him. He had spoken with Rusty earlier about something he wanted Yen to be a part of. He said it would make Yen a legend; that sold it. And today, the Amazing Yen was focused, he wanted to impress.

Rusty turned around and faced the field now, leaning sideways against the railing. Danny was skeptical of having a foreign exchange student be a part of the pranks, but Rusty had vouched for Yen, saying he was just what they were looking for. "Russ, I'm pretty fast on my feet, why don't I just be the runner? That was the original plan anyway,"

"Can't risk that. What if you get caught?"

"I won't,"

"Trust me, this guy is just what we need. He won't get caught," Rusty said, his drink hanging loosely in his hand.

"I told you, I won't either,"

"I don't believe you. Besides we need you elsewhere Friday night,"

The starters gun sounded and the runners sprinted down the 100 meters to the finish line.

"It doesn't look all that--" Danny said, before he cut himself off. His eyes followed Yen, his head had trouble keeping up. Yen flew down the track, finishing first. The second place student from West Mountain crossed the finish line six seconds later. The members of the crowd that were paying attention stood and cheered wildly. Rusty smiled smuggly as he took a long, satisfying sip from his soda. Danny collected himself.

"We got a runner," he said quietly.

"We got a runner!" Rusty said, as he set his drink on the rail and clapped.

-- -- --

It had been a long drive to Northwood University, but the scenery was beautiful and the campus was equally well kept. The hedges were neatly trimmed into perfect cubes and rectangles, the landscaping lush and green. The sidewalks were made of dark red bricks, to offset the light brown bricks the classes and dorms were made of. Students enjoyed themselves, playing with Frisbees and hacky sacks. Some read under the huge oak trees spead out through the large lawns. Danny loved coming here, it made him feel welcome and at home. And he knew if he wasn't such a screw up, he could be easily accepted in two years. Someday, maybe...he told himself. Danny finally made it to the student commons, situated mainly around a large, elaborate fountain. A sculpture of their mascot, the Bull, stood triumphantly surrounded by towers of water. Impressive, he thought. A cute girl reading Rand's Atlas Shrugged sat on the edge of the water.

"Excuse me," Danny said, oozing with charm, "Could you tell me where I can find the drama department,"

The girl looked up. And smiled. "It's...um, right over there," She pointed in a direction, which one, Danny wasn't quite sure. He smiled back and thanked her for her assistance. As an afterthought, he said, "Great book," She laughed, still smitten.

The auditorium was huge, dark and cold, but it got warmer the further Danny walked down the aisle. The stage lights had been on for a while, bathing the drama majors in bright white light. They were right in the middle of a duo piece, something by Shakespeare he assumed. The players were in puffy, colorful costumes. The male was confessing his love for the female, and apparently she was rejecting him. Poor guy, Danny thought. He was in the process of thinking of a way to convince the girl to give the guy a chance when applause burst from the other drama majors sitting in the front row. The two players bowed and took their leave from the stage. Danny spotted a side door and walked in.

The backstage area was filled with props and large backdrops for plays. This looked fun, Danny thought, if only he could act. Maybe he could act like he could act...The dressing room door was open, and the girl from the duo piece he just watched walked out, beaming. She was obviously happy with her performance, as she should be. Danny walked to the dressing room and leaned against the frame, crossing his arms, watching the male actor that was wiping pancake make-up from his face with a damp paper towel. It took a few seconds, but he finally saw Danny's reflection in the mirror.

"Danny Ocean?"

"Saul Bloom..." Danny said, smiling. Saul turned and returned the smile, walking across the room in his puffy, colorful costume and hugged his old friend.

-- -- --

The Stillwell Cafe was situated on the corner of the student commons, giving the customers a beautiful view of the fountain. The sun had just slipped behind the horizon, bathing the campus in a vivid orange light. Beautiful, Danny thought. But it reminded him of Tess...

"Danny, I'd love to help you, you know that..." Saul held his cup of coffee in both hands. Danny had explained his plan, and for the most part, Saul looked intreged. But the further Danny got into it, the more doubt was on the face of the drama major. "I'm too busy. I just can't right now,"

"Come on, Saul," Danny's voice was calm even though his head was filled with panic, "That's never stopped you before,"

Saul shook his head. He was only 20 and already the hair around the back of his head was disappearing. "Danny, you and me have known each other for a long time. We lived on the same street, you and Rusty were some of my best friends, we grew up together, played Little League. Even our fair share of pranks...but it's different now. I'm a sophomore in college on a full ride drama scholorship. I'm already being scouted by agents representing Broadway plays and movie studios. I've got a life now, Danny, and it's the life I've been dreaming about. I can't just give it up to help some old friends with a high school prank,"

"...Saul."

"I'm sorry Danny, I really am," Saul took a few dollars from his wallet and placed them on the table.

"No, you know what, I got it," Danny put his own money on the table and shoved Saul's money back towards him, "Now you owe me,"

"Danny, buying me a cup of coffee in exchange for another prank doesn't exactly make us even,"

Danny took one of his dollars and wrote something on the back, "We're all meeting at Rueben's house tomorrow night, I'd like you to be there,"

Saul took in a breath, "I'll see what I can do,"

Good enough for me, Danny thought. He stood up and held his hand out, which Saul took and heartily shook. Saul let out a long sigh as Danny disappeared into the commons. The waitress came back and asked if he'd like another cup, but he declined. As she took the money, Saul read what Danny had written down, expecting an address or phone number. He closed his eyes and bowed his head as he read, scrawled across the dollar in Danny's sloppy handwritting: FOR TESS.

-- -- --

It was nearing 9 o'clock when Danny returned Rusty's car. They decided to retire to the balcony of Rusty's house, which was on the southern side of Mount Agrafes and overlooked most of Northwood. The lights of South Shore could be seen off in the distance. Rusty took a sip of the fruit smoothie he had made for himself, and made a face. Maybe he should have made a milk shake for himself like he had made for Danny. They stood on the balcony, against the railing, very much like that afternoon at the football field. No one said much, just mutual contemplation.

"So, if Saul comes, that makes ten. Ten ought to do it, don't you think?" Danny asked. Rusty said nothing, continued to stare at the lights of the city below them. "You think we need we need one more?" Danny asked. More silence. "You think we need one more..." He realized what Rusty was saying without speaking.

"...Alright, we'll get one more,"

-- -- --

TUESDAY

Linus Caldwell sat in his home room class, waiting ever so patiently for the day to finally start. He wanted to go home already, and he had just gotten to school, which could be said of most kids that go to school, but for Linus it was like a torture camp. No one talked to him, he didn't know anyone, he hadn't made a single friend or held a steady conversation with anyone. He even had a difficult time asking someone for a pencil when he forgot his. Instead, he chose to turn in a blank test. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his eyes and rested his head on the desk. Just 7 hours to go...

The bang of a backpack landing on the desk in front of him jolted Linus up. It was the blond kid that sits across the room every morning. A goofy grin was plastered on his face.

"Can I help you?" Linus said, annoyed.

"I don't believe we've met, Rusty Ryan," He shook Linus' hand. "Have you made any friends yet?"

"...Excuse me?"

"Well you have now. I'm about to make your social life much, much easier," Rusty was talking fast, already writting something on the back of Linus' hand. Linus was speechless. "A few of my friends and I are getting together tonight at this address, I'd like you to come and hang out, get to know a few people,"

"Um, alright..."

"That work for you?"

"Sure!"

"Great! Don't be late and bring some chips or something. I like sour cream and onion," Rusty stood and headed back outside the room. He winked and a girl giggled and waved good bye.

"Thanks!" was all Linus could manage, as he looked at the address written on the back of his hand.

END OF CHAPTER

Coming Soon: The plan falls into motion AND Danny finally talks face-to-face with Tess


	4. Tuesday: All For One

TUESDAY AFTERNOON

The seconds hand on the clock was moving more slowly, she swore at one point it actually stopped all together. Advanced physics was her worst class, metaphorically speaking. She still had a 91% overall grade, an A-, but the fact that it was beginning to run together with her other classes and her attention wandering elsewhere made it her worst class. She didn't care about advanced physics, or why a bowling ball and a feather fall at the same rate of travel. She didn't care who Einstein was or what his Theory of Relativity was about. Newton and his apple could screw themselves, for all she cared.

Tess twirled her pencil, her petite chin resting comfortably in the palm of her other hand. She annoyingly blew a strand of brown hair away from her eye, anxiously watching the clock. She needed to get out of this classroom, rush to her car and leave campus as quickly and quietly as she could. After Danny's suspension, she had broken up with him completely, not even considering a twisted sort of friendship. As far as she was concerned, he didn't exist, even though she was now structuring her day around avoiding him. She had narrowly secured a scholarship to Princeton and was set to graduate early and head to the east coast after the summer. Tess admitted her future didn't go up in flames when Danny was suspended, but it at least set off a spark that had to be stomped out before it was too late. She couldn't afford to be in a relationship or be seen with him, period. It made her heart throb with pain at first, but eventually she came to the realization that it was a necessary sacrifice.

The bell finally rang and the students around her simultaneously grabbing their bags and loading up their belongings. She hesitated, choosing to watch the window near the door, waiting for Danny to walk by, to be waiting for her. The classroom cleared and he was no where to be seen. She hurried out, knowing full well he would be leaving his English composition class down the hallway. Tess' eyes scanned the faces of her fellow classmates, not seeing him anywhere. She smiled and greeted a few of them, buying her time. He wasn't here….

Tess felt the warmth of the sun hit her face as she left the east wing of the school, her white Taurus parked just down the street. Only a few more seconds and he was….standing right next to her car. The bottom of her stomach fell out and her heart went cold. Danny had his hands in his pockets, a wicked yet kind smile on his face.

"Tess…"

The sickness gave way to resentment, and Tess turned on her heels and began angrily stomping down the sidewalk.

"Tess, come on!"

"Get away from me, Danny," her voice was quiet, an angry hiss seeping through her lips. She contemplated swinging her book bag at him.

"I just want to talk," he was following her.

"We have nothing to talk about," Tess still wouldn't look at him.

"I'm afraid I have to disagree…."

She finally stopped and twirled around. Her hand went stiff, ready to slap that smug look off his face. "You told me you weren't doing it anymore. You said you had grown up! You lied to me!"

"Tess…"

"You lied!!" Her voice raised, wiping his face of any expression, "So many times I tried to understand, I tried to look past all the stupid bullshit you do, and I just can't do it anymore, Danny!" Tess' voice cracked, her throat swelled, tears ready to stream down her cheeks. She wasn't sure she had ever sworn in front of him before. "I have a future outside this stupid town and I'm not going to let you hold me back, not anymore,"

"If you would just listen to me,"

"I'm done, Danny. I don't want to hear your excuses anymore!"

"Is it Benedict?" his words stopped her cold. "It is, isn't it? Look, whatever he's been telling you, you need to understand he's going to do whatever it takes to drive us apart!"

"I think you do a good enough job of that on your own,"

"Does he make you laugh?"

"He doesn't make me cry," her words drew blood.

"I just need some time," she finally looked him in the eyes, full of what she thought was sincerity. She wrote it off as desperation.

"I don't have any time left for you," she whispered. A hand fumbled in her pocket for her keys and for the first time in her life, she didn't look back.

--- --- ---

What the hell am I doing here?

Linus bit his upper lip. It was almost five o'clock and already everyone was gathering by the huge pool in Reuben's backyard. His parents decided to up and leave for Hawaii that morning and left him all alone in the huge house, with nothing but free time on his hands. Linus thought the house was beautiful, but had failed to mention it to Reuben. Or anyone else. In fact, he hadn't mentioned anything to anyone. He sat quietly on a tanning chair, studying the lines in his hands.

The others there were getting along quite nicely, chortling and exchanging jokes and old stories. Linus died to be a part of it, but couldn't find that bit of courage buried deep under several layers of social handicap. His stomach growled for some of the food laid out on a long table poolside, but getting some would require walking across the yard and risking being pulled into a conversation, which would no doubt lead to humiliation and uncomfortable conditions.

He watched the various interactions going on around him: an older kid was talking with the twins, but he was concentrating more on the free food than the brothers arguing about Scarlett Johansson being hotter than Katy Perry. Rusty was talking with the Asian kid in a foreign language, and proceeded to show each other what appeared to be their favorite karate stances. Another kid with a laptop was showing some sort of video to two black kids, who laughed hysterically. Everyone looked happy, carefree. They were getting along, having fun. Linus realized he was already standing, prepared to head in a random direction and speak with someone for the first time when Danny emerged from the house, Reuben alongside him. Linus quickly sat back down.

"Everyone, if I could have your attention," Danny spoke up, everything settling down, "Everyone get enough food?" Linus' stomach rumbled again. "Good. Most of you know who I am, those of you who don't or need to be reminded, my name is Danny Ocean. Some of you I've worked with before, others it may be our first time. What I'm about to propose is both highly lucrative and highly dangerous. It could lead to what would be certain expulsion from your respective school, but if done successfully, we could all go down in history. As what, well it all depends," he smiled.

Linus had no idea what was going on. He wondered if anyone would notice he had jumped over the hedge and ran for his life.

"If that doesn't sound like your particular cup of tea, god speed, help yourself to the food and feel free to leave, no hard feelings…Otherwise, follow me," he turned and headed back in the direction he came. Everyone followed him. Everyone, that is except Linus. He sat frozen on his seat, afraid of what exactly he had gotten into.

"You're that new kid, Caldwell?" Reuben's voice startled him.

"Yeah," he said meekly, nodding.

"From Chicago? You like it there?"

"Yeah, it's nice,"

"That's wonderful," Reuben said, "Get in the god damn house," a grim expression on his face. Linus let out a sharp exhale. That settles that, he thought.

--- --- ---

"Okay, we have here South Shore, West Mountain and East River, by themselves normal high schools but on Friday night, we shall make them immortal," Danny said.

"Three schools in one night?" Turk asked.

"That's the plan. Three different pranks for three different schools, all done simultaneously,"

"Jesus," Virgil added. Everyone was gathered in the game room, a bunch of papers scattered atop a pool table. They stood in around it, trying to take everything in.

"Smash and run job, huh?" Linus chimed in.

"Slightly more complicated than that," Rusty said.

"That's why there are so many of us?" Basher asked.

"Partially," Rusty answered, "A few of us will be doing multiple jobs, but for the most part it should be pretty straight forward. Turk and Virgil, you're our drivers. You'll be transporting us from place to place. If we time it right, it should basically be one big circle," he traced his finger along a map, along three major highways connecting the three towns.

"Now, Northwood is hosting West Mountain for their homecoming game that night, the westside should be practically abandoned, but it's still going to be the hardest school. It has a brand new security system including, but not limited to motion detecting night vision cameras, thermal sensors that immediately contact the police department if tripped and several armed guards patrolling the area. Livingston, we need you to find a way around them,"

"All of them?" Livingston wiped sweat from his brow.

"All of them,"

"Won't that be breaking the law? I mean, I don't want to break the law,"

"You won't. And we won't," Danny said.

"And one more time, I'll be heading to South Shore with Frank and Turk, Reuben and Saul will be at the game, Rusty will take Yen and Livingston to West Mountain and we need a volunteer to lead the team to East River," Danny said. For a moment, no one said anything until everyone looked up at Linus.

"Me? No, no, no I can't,"

"I'm not doing it," Basher said.

"I'm just the driver," Virgil smiled.

"You'll do fine," Rusty said.

How can he lead a team of people he barely knows? Linus' mind was racing, trying to formulate an excuse for being unable to help, but failed.

"All other information will be a need to know basis, as soon as something comes up or changes, we'll be the first to let you know," Danny gestured to Rusty. "Last chance to get out,"

He put a hand forward over the table, Rusty put a hand over his. Everyone followed in turn.

Except Linus. He gave an exasperated laugh and shook his head. The first syllable of several random words escaped his mouth before he piped down and places his hand on top of the pile.

What the hell am I doing here?


End file.
